Traction-engine wheel



' No. 749,068 PATBNTED JAN. 5, 1964.

H. P. KRUEGBR. I TRACTION ENGINE WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 4. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 749,068. PATENTED JAN. 5, 1904 H. I. KRUEGER.

TRACTION ENGINE WHEEL.-

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1903. N0 MODEL. 3 SHBETS-SHBBT 2.

No. 749,068. PATBNTEDJAN. 5, 1904.

H. F.-KRUEGER.

TRAGTION ENGINE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1903.

H0 IODEL. 8 SHEETS-SHEET UNITED STATES Patented January 5, 1904.

HERMANN F. KRUEGER, or BROWNTON, MINNESOTA.

TRACTION-ENGINE WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,068, dated January 5, 1904.

Application filed April 4, 1903. Serial No. 151,142. (No model.)

To all whom iv' may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMANN F. KRUEGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brownton,in the countyof McLeod and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Traction-Engine Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in traction-wheels of the common road-engines, mowing-machines, and the like; and the object thereof is to provide a device which shall be particularly adapted for use when the engine or machine is drawn across a soft and marshy soil.

With this object in view my invention, broadly speaking, comprises a wheel having a series of plungers which are automatically projected and withdrawn beyond the periphery of the wheel for the purpose of digging into the soft or marshy soil, and thus preventing the wheel from slipping, as is often the case when a heavy engine or machine is traveling upon soft soil.

A further object of my invention is to provide a wheel with devices for operating these plungers, and still a further object is to provide an arrangement whereby these plungers can be thrown into operation or withdrawn when the machine reaches hard or solid ground without interfering in the least with the progress of the machine.

My invention also comprises certain details of construction and novelties of combination and arrangement of parts, as will be fully set forth in the following specification, and point-.

ed out in the claims, reference being had to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a face View of a wheel provided with my improvements,the driving-gear and framing being purposely omitted for the sake of clearness'of the illustration. Fig. 2 is a sectional view drawn about on the horizontal line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the inner face of the Wheel, the axle being shown in section and parts of the framing of the machine being also omitted for clearness of illustration. "Fig. 4 is a detail view of the gear, showing the rollers carried by the arms which project the blades beyond I the periphery of the wheel in the position they occupy when all of the blades are withdrawn. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the levers which operate the pawls that are arranged for projecting the blades. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view drawn on about the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the driving-gear. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the blades. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the arms for operating the blades, the roller being removed. Figs. 10 and 11 are detail views of the supports to which the arms are pivoted, and Figs. 12 and 13 are detail views of the strengthening-plates which are arranged upon the rim of the wheel and surrounding the openings through which the blades pass.

The general construction of the wheel proper is that of the ordinary make of traction-wheels and comprises the hub A, spokes B, and rims O, the latter carrying the usual ribs 0, and to the outer spokes of the wheel is secured, by means of clips D, a circular band 'D, which has a series of arms D formed therewith whose outer ends are formed with ears D between each set of which is pivotally held one end of the lovers E. The inner ends of the arms D are each formed with a plate D whose ends are provided with ears or lugs D which are designed to straddle the. spokes, and thereby preventing the inner ends of the plates from slipping, and of course it will be understood that the said plates D are curved to conform to the curvature of the hub of the wheel against which they lie.

As previously stated, the levers E are pivotally held at one end between the ears of the arms D and the opposite or inner ends of these lovers are arranged to project through slots F, formed in the spokes F of l the gear G, which is operated upon by a driving-pinion, (not shown,) by which the wheel is revolved upon the spindle. The extreme end of each lever is reduced to form a spindle, upon each of which is held an antifrictionroller E, that is operated upon by a cam H, carried by the frame of the machine. 7

Pivotally secured to the central part of each lever E is the shank portion I of the plungers I, which are adaptedto be forced'thro'ugh openings arranged in the rim of the wheel,

and surrounding each opening upontheouter and inner faces of the rim are the'strengthening-plates J and J, respectively.

'and has movable sections H and H formed therein, said sections being adapted to have their free ends rest upon the axle, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and when in this position the antifriction-rollers E, carried by the levers E, will ride upon the stationary and movable sections of the cam, as the wheel is revoluble, and which will forcibly project the plungers beyond the periphery of the wheel at its lower side, and by arranging the said cam eccentrically upon the Wheel the said plungers will be projected to their fullest extent only upon the lower sides of the wheel and will be withdrawn upon the upper surface of the wheel. To operate the movable sections of the cam, I employ pitmen K and K which are connected to the said movable sections H and H respectively, at one end, and at their outer ends the pitmen project through pivoted blocks K carried by an operating-lever K, which is pivoted at K to the frame of the engine and has a pawl K that engages a rack K for holding the lever and likewise the movable sections of the cam in their adjusted positions, as will be explained later on, and surrounding the outer ends of the pitmen are helical springs L, which bear upon washers arranged upon either side of the pivoted blocks K at one end and at their outer ends against suitable shoulders ar ranged upon the pitmen. The purpose of these springs is to permit of a yielding movement of the pitmen, as will also be explained later on.

In order to hold the antifriction-rollers E against the periphery of the cam and likewise to normally tend to draw the plungers inwardly, I employ t'orsional springs M, which are secured at one end to eyes arranged upon the plungers and at their opposite ends to eyes formed upon a collar M, which is arranged upon the hub of the wheel.

Suitable antifriction-rollers N are arranged upon the spokes of the gear at either side and at the inner ends of the guideways, between which the free ends of the levers work, and it may be stated here that any suitable form of framing 0 may be employed for bracing the gear within the wheel.

A brief description of the operation of my invention is as follows: When an engine or machine is traveling upon soft and marshy soil and it is desired to project the plungers beyond the periphery of the wheel, the lever is adjusted to throw the movable sections of the cam into the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and as the wheel revolves the antifriction-rollers will consecutively engage either one of the said movable sections and riding thereon will as the wheel continues to revolve work around upon the cam, and it should be stated that after the first roller E engages the movable section the latter will be permitted to drop down against the axle, and the remaining rollers will then easily ride thereover, and by providing the yielding movements of the pitman one of the movable sections will be pressed or forced outwardly by the rollers as the wheel revolves without in the leastinterfering with the position and operation of the other movable section. Now when the engineer machine again reaches firm and solid earth and it is desired to withdraw the plungers the lever is adjusted to elevate the movable sections, as shown in Fig. 5, and as the wheel revolves the rollers will consecutively ride off the stationary portion of the cam onto one or the other of the movable sections, according to the direction of the movement of the machine, and will drop down upon the inner side of the cam, as shown in Fig. 4, when they will remain until the lever is again adjusted to throw the movable sections into the position also shown in Fig. 4.

By the arrangement of the movable sections of the cam as shown and described it will be readily understood that the plungers can be quickly and easily projected or withdrawn when the engine is going either forward or backward, and when it is desired to transport the machine over a long stretch of hard ground or roads and it is desired to lock the plungers within the wheel it may be done by pins that are passed through apertures 1 which engage the inner reinforcing-plates, and thereby securely lock and hold the plungers in position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I provide an exceedingly cheap, simple, and efficient device for the purpose hereinbefore stated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a traction-wheel the combination with the plungers, levers pivoted to the wheel and connected to the said plungers, a cam for operating the said levers, movable sections formed upon the said cam and means for operating the said movable sections substantially as shown and described.

2. In a traction-wheel the combination with the pl un gers, of the levers carried by the said wheel and pivotally connected to the plungers, antifriction-rollers arranged upon the free ends of the levers, a cam arranged for engagement by the said antifriction-rollers, movable sections arranged in the cam, yielding pitman-rods connected to the said movable sections and a lever for operating the said pitmen, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a traction-wheel the combination of the plungers, levers pivoted within the wheel and connected to the plungers, a cam arranged for operating the said levers, movable sections formed in the said cam, springs for holding the said levers into engagement with the cam and means for operating the said movable sections substantially as shown and described.

4. A traction-wheel comprising the hub,

spoke, and rim-sections, a band connected to the spokes, 'arms carried by the said band and having' their outer endsformed into per forated ears the inner ends of the said arms terminating in plates whose ends are provided with ears that are arranged to straddle the spokes, the levers pivotally held between the ears of the said arms, plungers connected to the said levers, a cam for operating the said levers and springs for normally holding the levers into engagement with the cam all arwhich the opposite ends of the pitmen are a connected, said pitmen having their outer ends reduced and passed through pivoted journal-boxes carried by the lever and by which the said pitmen are connected to the lever and the springs arranged upon the pitmen upon opposite sides of the said journalboxes all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HERMANN F. KRUEGER.

Witnesses:

L. O. GRoTH, ROY D. WEST. 

